DRIVESCOREOur auto expert reviewers have awarded this score, after thoroughly testing this car.

Superb all-round ability

Excellent quality

Optional R performance accessories

No more manuals

Higher entry prices

GTI exhaust lacks bark

VALUE

8.0

SAFETY

10.0

COMFORT

7.5

PERFORMANCE

8.5

RESALE

6.5

SERVICING

8.0

SPACE

9.0

HANDLING

8.5

ECONOMY

9.0

CONNECTIVITY

10.0

OVERALL

8.0

Volkswagen’s hot-Golf line-up has been streamlined to just three models for 2019, with more power for GTI and more flavour in the range-topping R Special Edition.

It’s the final lunge to the finish line for the Mk7.5 Golf GTI and R, as Volkswagen sweetens the appeal of both sporting variants in preparation for the next-generation Mk8 destined for a late-2019 debut.

Is it right for me?

If you want the most accomplished small hatchback that money can buy, full stop, then these hot Golfs nail the brief. Class-leading space, quality, technology, and all-round driver appeal elevate the Golf GTI and R right to the top of the hot-hatch category.

Can I afford it ?

With the former MY18 Golf GTI Original price leader currently going for $38,990 drive-away, it’s quite a step up to the MY19 Golf GTI. A standard dual-clutch transmission accounts for some of the price hike, but you’re now looking at a $45,490 GTI entry ticket, with two optional packages ($2300 Sound and Style pack; $3900 Luxury pack) ready to lift the loaded GTI to an R-rivalling $51,690.

The MY19 R comes in either hatch ($56,490) or wagon ($58,490) bodystyles, each dual-clutch only and heavily stocked with kit. Just two options are available – a panoramic sunroof for $1900 and a 400-watt Dynaudio sound system for $1000.

The Golf R Special Edition cops a $5500 premium over the normal R hatchback, though it justifies that sticker with a host of unique R Performance Options previously only available in Europe.

At $61,990, that’s a lot of coin for a Golf (and $1900 more again if you want a sunroof) but the R Special Edition is a proper premium hatchback, with the finish and class to support its steep price tag.

The R goes a step further by adding the stuff available in the GTI’s Sound/Style and Luxury packs as standard. All-wheel drive, leather upholstery, an electric driver’s seat with memory, dynamic cornering lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, an upgraded 9.2-inch multimedia system with gesture control and voice control, rear privacy-tint windows, metallic/pearl effect paint, memory-function exterior mirrors and, on the wagon, roof rails and a luggage tie-down net, are all standard.

How much does it cost to maintain?

Volkswagen’s recommended service interval for the Golf GTI and R is 12 months/15,000km, whichever comes first. For the first three years, the fixed-price servicing cost of the GTI DSG is $1605, or slightly more than the R ($1573). Over five years, the GTI is also marginally dearer to service ($2773 versus $2754).

All MY19 Golf GTI and R models are covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, as well as a 12-year corrosion warranty.

CAR OF THE WEEK

Is it well built?

Since the 1998 Golf Mk4, Volkswagen has lead the pack when it comes to small-car build quality, and the current Mk7.5 continues that trend. Superb interior plastics tactility with soft-feel surfacing is true premium stuff, and so is the Golf’s upholstery and panel fit. It’s one of those rare cars that maintains an aura of expense no matter where you look.

What are the Standout features?

The Golf’s ‘premium mainstream’ positioning means it combines the relative affordability of an everyperson’s brand with the establishment-rattling finish and refinement of a genuine premium vehicle.

In fact, the Golf is better than an equivalent BMW or Mercedes-Benz – even an entry-level variant – when it comes to build quality and luxury feel, and that’s what makes it stand out.

It’s also an incredibly well-packaged vehicle – still the best in its class six years after launch – and such a great all-rounder.

What does it have that others don't?

Arguably the finest reputation for being a hot-hatch hero, and with the MY19 models, that performance-for-the-money appeal of the GTI and R continues. Yet the sporting Golfs also nail the practical aspects of being a small hatchback like virtually no other rival.

How practical is it?

Incredibly so for a 4.2m-long hatchback, squeezing a tonne of space and comfort into its modest form. And the Golf R wagon is even more so, proving that a traditional station wagon beats an equivalent SUV every time – especially when there’s so much grunt to play with.

Is it comfortable?

For overall seat support and an ability to fit three average-sized people across its back seat, the Golf is unparalleled for a car its size. It’s a holistic design that feels completely all-of-a-piece, like each part was designed to perfectly complement the next.

That said, the suspension firmness of the Golf GTI and R puts them some way from the sublime ride comfort of an entry-level Golf.

Even with adaptive dampers, the GTI and R are quite disciplined in their wheel control, though with the drive-mode system set to Comfort, a 19-inch-wheeled Golf can pull off plushness surprisingly well. It’s quite a bit firmer in the Normal setting, though, which is the one best suited to the Golf GTI and R’s dynamic personality.

Easy in, easy out?

Deep, broad-opening doors and an almost MPV-like relationship between its seats and expansive windscreen make the Golf arguably the best of its body type. If you’re having trouble getting into one, might we suggest ... a Tiguan?

Space and versatility?

One of the Golf’s greatest achievements is its packaging efficiency, and the excellence of its five-seat interior. It’s one of the only cars in its class that can seat three in the rear in something approaching comfort.

Then there’s its height-adjustable centre-front armrest, which is one of the best in the world, and the carpet-lined extravagance of its cavernous door bins, each housing a 1.5-litre water bottle among other junk. No small car does it better.

And let’s not forget the Golf’s fantastic boot. Due to its rear driveshafts, the Golf R hatch foregoes a small amount of cargo space, but its 343-litre boot is almost best-in-class. The front-drive GTI takes that even further by offering 380 litres thanks to its dual-height floor. When it’s raised to the dead-flat level position (same as the R’s), you can actually store its rear luggage cover underneath. Genius!

Finally, the Golf R wagon. Now that the Holden Commodore SS-V Redline Sportwagon is dead, the Golf R wagon has the mega-fast, mega-practical niche almost all to itself (apart from the GTI’s Skoda Octavia RS245 cousin). With 605 litres of space below the luggage cover and a massive 1620 litres with the rear seat backrests dropped, it’s about as spacious and versatile as anyone could want.

What's the engine like?

The bones of the GTI and R engines are the same – an EA888-series 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, tied to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The MY19 GTI gets the uprated tune of the Golf GTI 40 Years and GTI Performance Edition 1 (and Skoda Octavia RS245) – namely 180kW at 5000-6200rpm and 370Nm from 1600-4300rpm – while the MY19 Golf R continues with 213kW/380Nm. Volkswagen doesn’t specify any output changes for the R Special Edition with Akrapovic exhaust.

The EA888 2.0-litre is a superb engine – both tractable and torquey, yet brimming with all-round muscle – and its well-earned reputation for not punishing keen drivers at the fuel bowser deserves particular praise. A nicely honed official fuel-consumption number and sharp on-paper performance figures are one thing. Backing those claims up with truth in reality is entirely another, and that’s where the Golf GTI and R excel.

How much fuel does it consume?

Both the Golf GTI and R rank among the most fuel-efficient hot hatches you’ll find, with a 6.5L/100km combined number for the GTI, 7.2 for the Golf R hatch and 7.3 for the Golf R wagon. While all of them prefer 98-octance premium, the benefits you’ll get in balancing class-leading performance with supreme fuel efficiency is tangible.

Is it enjoyable to drive?

Over the years the Golf GTI and R have gone from strength to strength when it comes to dynamics, and the MY19 models will see out this Golf generation in fine style.

It’s taken the R-branded Golf almost 15 years to be good enough to outshine its more affordable GTI-badge sibling, but the Mk7.5 Golf R finally does that. Blending unyielding traction with a playfulness and sweetness of balance that has long eluded the Golf R, the latest Special Edition version is the best yet. Chuckable handling with progressive and well-telegraphed responses, strong brakes, and a hugely likeable engine make driving one quickly a cracking experience.

The MY19 GTI is perhaps not quite the all-rounder it once was. On the optional 19s of our test car, it lacks that Teflon-coated smoothness of ride that characterises its more humble siblings, yet there’s still a lot to like. Terrific balance, great power-down ability from its limited-slip front diff, quick steering and a really strong engine make for a really fun drive. But the R is that little bit more hardcore – louder, sharper, quicker and tougher.

Does it perform as you expect?

Almost nothing for the money will give you 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds like a Golf R DSG (or 5.0sec in the wagon), and if we’re talking the Special Edition, such a fruity exhaust. The way it barks on upshifts and crackles on overrun is deeply addictive, and has almost become a signature of hot Golfs.

For most people, most of the time, the MY19 GTI has enough stonk to completely satisfy. With a 0-100km/h claim of 6.2 seconds, it’s at the top end for 40-something hot-hatch acceleration, yet it’s missing the very thing you’d expect from a DSG Golf GTI. It has no upshift bark.

Perhaps more mileage and carbon build-up in the exhaust system will improve things – it often does – but we miss the blurting that everyone else is now copying. Alongside the gratuitous dual-clutch Renaultsport Megane 280, the MY19 GTI is a touch too cultured and quiet. But it remains such a impressive hot hatch, even in the twilight of its life.

2019 Volkswagen Golf R Special Edition price and specifications

Price: $61,990 (before on-road costs)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder

Power: 213kW at 5400-6500rpm

Torque: 380Nm at 1850-5300rpm

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch, AWD

Fuel use: 7.2L/100km

Drive finds the best deal on your next car

Tell us about yourself and our concierge service will help you find the perfect new car through our accredited Dealer network.

Having completed an Arts degree in English Literature and Film, Ponch started out at Hot 4s & Performance Cars magazine in 1997, honing his distaste for bodykits and commercial doof-doof, before editing Australian Volkswagen magazine, then kicking off a 17-year career at ACP/Bauer as Staff Journalist for WHEELS in 2001.